Latest news with #Women'sGlobalDevelopmentandProsperityInitiative
LeMonde
23-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
In Côte d'Ivoire, women and sexual minorities are left vulnerable as the US withdraws aid
The days when Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the US president, visited Côte d'Ivoire to promote women's rights now seem distant. Dressed in a pristine white dress, Trump toured the cocoa plantations in the Adzopé region, North of Abidjan, and danced with the women who worked there. That was in 2019, during her father's first term, and she was accompanied by Mark Green, the head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) − the same agency that Donald Trump dismantled on the first day of his second term. Six years ago, Ivanka Trump came to support the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, which aimed to foster economic empowerment for 50 million women, and announced $2 million in funding for savings groups run by cocoa farmers. "When women are free to thrive, they bring national stability, as well as more jobs and economic growth," she argued. Her visit boosted USAID's efforts in this field, all of which were abruptly ended in January. "We were told to immediately stop all activities," said Francine Aka-Anghui, former president of the Association of Women Lawyers of Côte d'Ivoire, who worked on one of these projects. "For our beneficiaries, hope disappeared overnight." "The end of American aid is catastrophic for African women," said Ivorian feminist Sylvia Apata. "USAID enabled significant progress in women's rights on the continent. Unless African governments take responsibility – and I doubt they will – we are going to witness a historic setback."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - America still needs the Women, Peace and Security Act — just not Biden's version of it
When President Trump signed the Women, Peace and Security Act into law in 2017, it was a pragmatic triumph, rooted in biological reality and strategic clarity. Championed by Ivanka Trump, the legislation recognized that women and girls, due to their unique experiences — especially in conflict zones — play a critical role in stabilizing societies. Backed by data showing that peace agreements last 35 percent longer when women are involved in making them, the act was no progressive fantasy. It was a hard-nosed strategy to enhance U.S. national security. Yet, under the Biden administration, ideological overreach distorted the law into a bloated 'woke' program, diluting its focus on women's distinct contributions. It's time to reorient the law to its original intent, leveraging biological differences to advance America's strategic interests and increase our strength and security. The Women, Peace and Security Act was conservative at its core, grounded in the undeniable fact that women and girls face disproportionate violence, displacement and exploitation, and that this shapes their perspectives and roles in security and peacebuilding. Co-sponsored by then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), it aimed to harness these experiences to strengthen U.S. foreign policy, fostering stable societies that reduce threats requiring American intervention. Ivanka Trump's advocacy tied the bill to her Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, which reached 12 million women by 2019 with free-market tools like workforce training and property rights. This wasn't about social justice; it was about empowering women's unique contributions to prevent failed states that presage poor outcomes, like becoming breeding grounds for terrorism. The original framework of the Women, Peace and Security Act also resonated with the Department of Defense's practical acknowledgment of biological differences. In Afghanistan, cultural support teams exemplified this: All-female units leveraged women's ability to engage local women and children, often inaccessible to male soldiers, gathering intelligence and building trust in ways men could not. This wasn't ideology — it was a force multiplier, increasing lethality by exploiting biological and cultural realities. Cultural support teams proved that recognizing women's distinct capabilities enhances mission success, aligning with the act's focus on results over dogma. But that focus has been lost. The Biden administration buried Women, Peace and Security under progressive mandates: gender advisers, climate security and diversity workshops ignored biological reality in favor of gender-neutral platitudes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's April 2025 decision to end the Pentagon's Women, Peace and Security program reflected this frustration, calling it a 'divisive social justice' distraction. This bureaucratic creep alienates allies, who see such mandates as cultural overreach, undermining the act's grounding in women's distinct roles. Reclaiming Women, Peace and Security begins with restoring its foundation in biological reality — a principle President Trump recently reaffirmed through his executive order recognizing only two sexes. The Women, Peace and Security Act was never meant to serve as a vessel for progressive social experimentation. It was designed to elevate the distinct and often underutilized contributions of women in peacebuilding, diplomacy and security. That requires course correction, not cancellation. First, costly gender quotas and United Nations-imposed compliance mechanisms must be eliminated. These mandates divert resources from mission-critical priorities like military readiness and strategic diplomacy. Second, the program should be predominantly confined to the State Department, where it can strengthen alliances without militarizing a civilian-focused initiative. Third, programming should revive Ivanka Trump's storytelling approach, showcasing real women's successes to build support without progressive preaching. Fourth, within the Department of Defense, Women, Peace and Security principles should inform — not distort — force design. Programs like the aforementioned cultural support teams, which trained female soldiers to gather intelligence and build trust in environments where male soldiers could not, offer a proven model. These are not diversity programs; they are combat multipliers. Finally, for Women, Peace and Security to succeed abroad, it must engage men and boys. Women's empowerment initiatives that ignore traditional power structures or attempt to replace them will fail. Cultural legitimacy matters. True progress complements, rather than erases, local norms. Critics will argue that scaling back risks undermining women's gains. But the original program, which helped Colombia adopt a National Action Plan in 2019, proved its efficacy by focusing on women's lived experiences, not ideological bloat. Others might call for scrapping Women, Peace and Security entirely. Yet abandoning a proven tool — one that recognizes biological reality to boost security and lethality — hands adversaries an edge in unstable regions. A streamlined Women, Peace and Security program, rooted in its 2017 intent, preserves its value while rejecting globalist overreach. The Women, Peace and Security Act was a conservative triumph — a bipartisan policy that leveraged women's unique experiences to serve America's interests. By realigning it with its original roots, the Trump administration can restore the act's promise, delivering a stronger, more lethal America and a more stable world. Meaghan Mobbs, Ph.D., is director for the Center for American Safety and Security at Independent Women's Forum. She is also the military advocacy and policy liaison for the Coalition for Military Excellence. Mobbs serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors and a presidential appointee to the United States Military Academy — West Point Board of Visitors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
America still needs the Women, Peace and Security Act — just not Biden's version of it
When President Trump signed the Women, Peace and Security Act into law in 2017, it was a pragmatic triumph, rooted in biological reality and strategic clarity. Championed by Ivanka Trump, the legislation recognized that women and girls, due to their unique experiences — especially in conflict zones — play a critical role in stabilizing societies. Backed by data showing that peace agreements last 35 percent longer when women are involved in making them, the act was no progressive fantasy. It was a hard-nosed strategy to enhance U.S. national security. Yet, under the Biden administration, ideological overreach distorted the law into a bloated 'woke' program, diluting its focus on women's distinct contributions. It's time to reorient the law to its original intent, leveraging biological differences to advance America's strategic interests and increase our strength and security. The Women, Peace and Security Act was conservative at its core, grounded in the undeniable fact that women and girls face disproportionate violence, displacement and exploitation, and that this shapes their perspectives and roles in security and peacebuilding. Co-sponsored by then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), it aimed to harness these experiences to strengthen U.S. foreign policy, fostering stable societies that reduce threats requiring American intervention. Ivanka Trump's advocacy tied the bill to her Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, which reached 12 million women by 2019 with free-market tools like workforce training and property rights. This wasn't about social justice; it was about empowering women's unique contributions to prevent failed states that presage poor outcomes, like becoming breeding grounds for terrorism. The original framework of the Women, Peace and Security Act also resonated with the Department of Defense's practical acknowledgment of biological differences. In Afghanistan, cultural support teams exemplified this: All-female units leveraged women's ability to engage local women and children, often inaccessible to male soldiers, gathering intelligence and building trust in ways men could not. This wasn't ideology — it was a force multiplier, increasing lethality by exploiting biological and cultural realities. Cultural support teams proved that recognizing women's distinct capabilities enhances mission success, aligning with the act's focus on results over dogma. But that focus has been lost. The Biden administration buried Women, Peace and Security under progressive mandates: gender advisers, climate security and diversity workshops ignored biological reality in favor of gender-neutral platitudes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's April 2025 decision to end the Pentagon's Women, Peace and Security program reflected this frustration, calling it a 'divisive social justice' distraction. This bureaucratic creep alienates allies, who see such mandates as cultural overreach, undermining the act's grounding in women's distinct roles. Reclaiming Women, Peace and Security begins with restoring its foundation in biological reality — a principle President Trump recently reaffirmed through his executive order recognizing only two sexes. The Women, Peace and Security Act was never meant to serve as a vessel for progressive social experimentation. It was designed to elevate the distinct and often underutilized contributions of women in peacebuilding, diplomacy and security. That requires course correction, not cancellation. First, costly gender quotas and United Nations-imposed compliance mechanisms must be eliminated. These mandates divert resources from mission-critical priorities like military readiness and strategic diplomacy. Second, the program should be predominantly confined to the State Department, where it can strengthen alliances without militarizing a civilian-focused initiative. Third, programming should revive Ivanka Trump's storytelling approach, showcasing real women's successes to build support without progressive preaching. Fourth, within the Department of Defense, Women, Peace and Security principles should inform — not distort — force design. Programs like the aforementioned cultural support teams, which trained female soldiers to gather intelligence and build trust in environments where male soldiers could not, offer a proven model. These are not diversity programs; they are combat multipliers. Finally, for Women, Peace and Security to succeed abroad, it must engage men and boys. Women's empowerment initiatives that ignore traditional power structures or attempt to replace them will fail. Cultural legitimacy matters. True progress complements, rather than erases, local norms. Critics will argue that scaling back risks undermining women's gains. But the original program, which helped Colombia adopt a National Action Plan in 2019, proved its efficacy by focusing on women's lived experiences, not ideological bloat. Others might call for scrapping Women, Peace and Security entirely. Yet abandoning a proven tool — one that recognizes biological reality to boost security and lethality — hands adversaries an edge in unstable regions. A streamlined Women, Peace and Security program, rooted in its 2017 intent, preserves its value while rejecting globalist overreach. The Women, Peace and Security Act was a conservative triumph — a bipartisan policy that leveraged women's unique experiences to serve America's interests. By realigning it with its original roots, the Trump administration can restore the act's promise, delivering a stronger, more lethal America and a more stable world. Meaghan Mobbs, Ph.D., is director for the Center for American Safety and Security at Independent Women's Forum. She is also the military advocacy and policy liaison for the Coalition for Military Excellence. Mobbs serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors and a presidential appointee to the United States Military Academy — West Point Board of Visitors.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former USAID official warns China is already looking to fill void left by paused programs
The Trump administration's pause of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding may leave the door open for China to spread its influence, and Beijing is not wasting time trying to fill in the gaps. A former USAID official, who spoke with Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity, said that whereas the U.S. stepped down, China has "immediately" stepped in. "We've just seen news reporting coming out of Nepal, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, documenting directly that where USAID programs have ended that the People's Republic of China has told these governments that it will step in and become the partner for these governments to continue that work," a former USAID official told Fox News Digital. Former Usaid Administrator Says Agency Should Stay With Conservative Head China has already stepped up its funding to Cambodia's largest demining organization, the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), in the absence of U.S. funds, according to Reuters. As it seeks increased influence, Beijing pledged $4.4 million to CMAC, more than double the $2 million it received from the U.S. last year, the outlet added. Additionally, China is also watching the funding freeze's impact on Nepal, the Annapurna Express reports. While China is already sending funds to Nepal, it is reportedly increasing its financial support in various areas. Read On The Fox News App The former USAID official emphasized that "by removing these [USAID] programs it adds one more reason for many of these partners to now not see the United States as a partner who shares their priorities of investing in the people of their countries." Top Federal Agency Exposed For Spending Billions On Migrants In A Single Year While there are several populations around the globe feeling the impact of the Trump administration's funding freeze, the situation is particularly treacherous for women. During President Donald Trump's first term in office, his daughter, Ivanka, played a key role in launching the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP). At the time, the White House said the program was aimed at advancing women's economic empowerment. Lilian Achom, who is based in Uganda, participated in USAID W-GDP Fund programming and was present when Trump launched the W-GDP. Now, she fears that women grappling with HIV/AIDS, many of whom are widows trying to raise children. When speaking to Fox News Digital, Achom said Trump needs to "think about the underprivileged deep down in northern Uganda. The underprivileged, the children, the women who are currently suffering." Achom recalled meeting Ivanka Trump and spoke highly of the president's daughter, saying that she was "inspired" by her. "I saw in her someone who was really, really interested in women's empowerment, economic development and digital inclusion for women around the world," Achom said of Ivanka. The former USAID official who spoke with Fox News Digital said that the funding freeze is "impacting potentially every aspect of the lives of women and girls who were benefiting from USAID programs." The official added that while China is already trying to fill certain voids left by the U.S., it's unclear whether they will fund programs focused on women. The White House has accused USAID of funding "the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats." Among the areas of "waste and abuse" highlighted by the White House are $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam, $1.5 million to "advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities," and $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt. The State Department did not respond to a Fox News request for article source: Former USAID official warns China is already looking to fill void left by paused programs
Fox News
18-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Former USAID official warns China is already looking to fill void left by paused programs
The Trump administration's pause of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding may leave the door open for China to spread its influence, and Beijing is not wasting time trying to fill in the gaps. A former USAID official, who spoke with Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity, said that whereas the U.S. stepped down, China has "immediately" stepped in. "We've just seen news reporting coming out of Nepal, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, documenting directly that where USAID programs have ended that the People's Republic of China has told these governments that it will step in and become the partner for these governments to continue that work," a former USAID official told Fox News Digital. China has already stepped up its funding to Cambodia's largest demining organization, the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), in the absence of U.S. funds, according to Reuters. As it seeks increased influence, Beijing pledged $4.4 million to CMAC, more than double the $2 million it received from the U.S. last year, the outlet added. Additionally, China is also watching the funding freeze's impact on Nepal, the Annapurna Express reports. While China is already sending funds to Nepal, it is reportedly increasing its financial support in various areas. The former USAID official emphasized that "by removing these [USAID] programs it adds one more reason for many of these partners to now not see the United States as a partner who shares their priorities of investing in the people of their countries." While there are several populations around the globe feeling the impact of the Trump administration's funding freeze, the situation is particularly treacherous for women. During President Donald Trump's first term in office, his daughter, Ivanka, played a key role in launching the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP). At the time, the White House said the program was aimed at advancing women's economic empowerment. Lilian Achom, who is based in Uganda, participated in USAID W-GDP Fund programming and was present when Trump launched the W-GDP. Now, she fears that women grappling with HIV/AIDS, many of whom are widows trying to raise children. When speaking to Fox News Digital, Achom said Trump needs to "think about the underprivileged deep down in northern Uganda. The underprivileged, the children, the women who are currently suffering." Achom recalled meeting Ivanka Trump and spoke highly of the president's daughter, saying that she was "inspired" by her. "I saw in her someone who was really, really interested in women's empowerment, economic development and digital inclusion for women around the world," Achom said of Ivanka. The former USAID official who spoke with Fox News Digital said that the funding freeze is "impacting potentially every aspect of the lives of women and girls who were benefiting from USAID programs." The official added that while China is already trying to fill certain voids left by the U.S., it's unclear whether they will fund programs focused on women. The White House has accused USAID of funding "the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats." Among the areas of "waste and abuse" highlighted by the White House are $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam, $1.5 million to "advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities," and $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt. The State Department did not respond to a Fox News request for comment.
